Pakistan Says Will Soon Respond To Indian Dossier On Jaish-e-Mohammed

Islamabad: Pakistan on Thursday said it will "soon" respond to a dossier handed over to it by India on "specific details" of involvement of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in the deadly Pulwama terror attack as also the presence of camps of the UN-proscribed terror outfit in the country.

"It's being evaluated and a response would be given soon," Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal told reporters in Islamabad.

The JeM had taken the responsibility of the attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama district on February 14, in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed. Tensions between India and Pakistan flared up after the attack.

India launched a counter-terror operation in Balakot on February 26. The next day, Indian Air Force's Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was captured by Pakistan during a dogfight with Pakistani jets that had crossed the Line of Control to target Indian military installations. He was returned to India on March 1.

Responding to questions during his weekly media briefing, Mr Faisal said "Our desire is peace but when we talk it is considered weakness."

On the Kartarpur corridor, Mr Faisal said it was a project initiated by Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, for which a Pakistani delegation will be visiting India on March 14.

He said India first suggested that meeting be held in New Delhi, which Pakistan accepted, however, the venue was later changed to Attari.

"Pakistan again agreed with Indian suggestion and if circumstances are not changed until March 14, then the Pakistani delegation will visit India," he said.

India and Pakistan agreed to open up a special border crossing linking Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan''s Kartarpur - the final resting place of Guru Nanak Dev - to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India's Gurdaspur district to facilitate visa-free visit of Indian Sikh pilgrims to Kartarpur.